Lukashenko: All debts to agricultural producers should be paid off by 1 August

By 1 August  2024 all the debts owed to agricultural producers for meat and milk should be paid off, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting with the Council of Ministers on 14 June, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded that more attention be paid to the development of a network of agricultural services, something that market economy champions tried to destroy. “When the market economy model was adopted, they decided to destroy all this. I said ‘no’, we should keep it. We still need it today,” said the head of state. He believes that large Belarusian enterprises need to have their service centers at agricultural service organizations. “We are grinding away abroad, creating service centers. No one will buy our equipment unless we provide maintenance services. Why can’t we do the same in our own country?” asked the head of state. “In this case they will provide services on the spot and you will not depend on crooks and swindlers, intermediaries to bring you spare parts,” he remarked.

According to the president, the situation is similar with mobile mechanized brigades. These brigades were very common in the Soviet Union and their potential must be preserved and expanded, especially at the district level. “Bring them back. We need to reclaim 200,000 hectares of land. Who will do this? These inter-district mobile mechanized brigades,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. Such brigades do not only do important work - from helping people repair their agricultural equipment to bigger tasks, like land reclamation – they also create additional jobs and employment opportunities in rural areas.

The president warned those in charge against delaying payments to farmers and agricultural organizations for products they sell. “I warn you: there should be no debts to farmers and collective farms for milk and meat by 1 August. Take money from crooks and give it to farmers for the products they sell,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

Written by belta.by